Wendy Rochman

Making paper with natural inclusions is central to my intention of honoring Earth through art. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable, and can be a source of energy after use. I make paper entirely from earth materials, in a natural setting at my Rocky Mountain studio in the woods. I love making and using paper as a medium because it is infinitely pliable. It can be bent, curled, folded, twisted, crumpled, cut, torn, molded, layered, woven and embossed. By merging a combination of these actions, I shape and create my pieces.

Nature has always been my most compelling subject of interest. Throughout the 40+ years that I have been making and teaching art, I have practiced and experimented with numerous media, including printmaking, photography, watercolor and weaving. No matter what medium I used, my inspiration has always been the same: the intricacies of nature, from her broadest to her most infinitesimal creations.

In the Goodhue Ditch series I explore the interaction of humans with nature. Nature sets the scene for the movement of human societies, then human societies manipulate nature to meet their needs, then nature responds to remind us that she's still the boss. Sometimes the scale of her response is terrifying, but in the case of the Goodhue Ditch, nature has responded in the most elegant and graceful manner, as is often her way.